Another Dealer Destroyed Camaro

[JB400]

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/chevy-camaro-zl1-owner-fights-dealership-totaled-car-170136602.html

This time, an employee takes a Camaro ZL1 out for a joy ride while the dealership is closed, and knocks down an utility pole.  The car was there for a paint touch up.  Employee just lost his job and not charged with theft

[Ghoste]

Respect for the property of others, nice.

[tan top]

should of been charged with theft ,  car was in for paint work , he went out on a road test !  , purely to give it a hiding   ,  

[Ghoste]

Agreed, his next employer should know what this guy is like.

[68X426]

Agreed, his next employer should know what this guy is like.

Next "employer" should be a chain gang busting up rock into gravel.

[myk]

A lot of that going around.  The local GM dealer I buy parts from just lost their parts "veteran" of over 25 years because he and another employee took two customer's Vette's out for the weekend.  How does anyone think they're going to get away with this?  You can't roll back a modern odometer, AFAIK...

[Nwcharger]

Not an uncommon thing. I work for dealers for 10 years and have seen lots of stupid things people do to customers and company owned cars. Not sure if the employee can be charged with anything. Just fired.

[myk]

I'll never forget the time a shop freely and nonchalantly admitted to taking the Charger out for a joyride, commenting on how strong it was but a 5.0 would be faster.  I ALWAYS check my odo's whenever I get my cars back from a shop; doesn't happen often, but I have to be sure...

[ws23rt]

A shops reputation is more than the quality of the repair.

[Nwcharger]

I still service cars (hate it dearly) and always to the best job I possibly can. I like to have the cars I service leave like they did when they where new. Don't think ive ever thrashed on a customers car. Now a pdi or used car inspection is a different story and won't go into details but have had some fun in some fast cars. That cash for clunkers was something different. Getting an RO and told to drain the oil and blow the engine up was strange. But after a long day dealing with warranty bs it did feel good to launch a few motors before going home 

[Cooter]

Test driving customers ca rs is part of the repair process...you come ba ck through the door raising hell because we took your car for a test drive trying to find this noise you mentioned happened only at 30mph, in a turn, and you'll be turned around and marched right out the door.
If the car means that much to you leave it at home.

Now, if you actually think dropping off your SRT 8 whatever at the body shop, doesn't get driven hard yor dreaming.
Sad, but true. This is the world we live in now. They don't have it, so they will just beat on my your stuff instead.

[Silver R/T]

I try to avoid dealer at all costs.

[Lighthorseman]

Way back in my high school years, I had a part-time job at the local Dodge/Plymouth dealer on weekends.  There was a back road that was COVERED in tire marks from mechanics, salesmen, lot guys, you name it, taking new, used, and customers' vehicles out for a good flogging.
Management even knew about it, and didn't seem to care.

[Ghoste]

Yes, test driving for repairs noted under driving conditions would certainly be considered normal.  Test driving for a paint touch up probably doesn`t qualify. 

[FlatbackFanatic]

 

[A383Wing]

back in the late 70's we took our 66 4spd Charger to a friend of the wife's family to get painted....a week later we went to pick it up, paint looked good, but the clutch was kinda funny...opened the hood and noticed the engine was not sitting straight in the engine bay...was rolled over to one side...

I asked what happened? Guy tells me that his shop got broken into and the car was stolen, but he got it back....I asked where the police report was?

Finally he said his kids took my car out and thrashed it......

was hard to drive it home 80 miles with 2 busted mounts...I was not gonna leave it there any longer

[1974dodgecharger]

And just think dealerships dont do shit even after their employees destroy customers cars.  They say its out of their hands and the customer has to sue the person who joyride it and not the dealership after the firing lol...fakers.

[tan top]

Test driving customers ca rs is part of the repair process...you come ba ck through the door raising hell because we took your car for a test drive trying to find this noise you mentioned happened only at 30mph, in a turn, and you'll be turned around and marched right out the door.
If the car means that much to you leave it at home.

Now, if you actually think dropping off your SRT 8 whatever at the body shop, doesn't get driven hard yor dreaming.
Sad, but true. This is the world we live in now. They don't have it, so they will just beat on my your stuff instead.

Way back in my high school years, I had a part-time job at the local Dodge/Plymouth dealer on weekends.  There was a back road that was COVERED in tire marks from mechanics, salesmen, lot guys, you name it, taking new, used, and customers' vehicles out for a good flogging.
Management even knew about it, and didn't seem to care.

Not an uncommon thing. I work for dealers for 10 years and have seen lots of stupid things people do to customers and company owned cars. Not sure if the employee can be charged with anything. Just fired.

yep sad to say its all true !!   been a mechanic  , then  crash repair    body & paint  etc  for 27 years  , seen it all !!     even    managnent  & or garage / shop owners are not emune to give a customers car a good hiding    stories I could tell   

Yes, test driving for repairs noted under driving conditions would certainly be considered normal.  Test driving for a paint touch up probably doesn`t qualify. 

   yep that's the bottom line  , not as is if , he went out to check brakes , trans  or  an over heating problem etc then got carried away with the throttle 

what he done was premeditated   

[Mike DC]

 
All this modern data-logging that dealerships are starting to be able to use against the owners to deny warranty claims . . . let's see if the owners can use it against the dealers when they flog their cars.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

I know it's not reality but in my opinion the dealership should step up and make the situation right, and the ex-employee should be forced to compensate the dealer, if not then do time behind bars.

Test driving a customers car in an attempt to correct a problem is one thing, but hammering on that car is another.

I know there are good shops around with responsible employees but there are just too many people you can't trust with your car. That's one of the reasons I do my own work!

[Ghoste]

And its one of the big reasons people don`t trust shops, mechanics, dealers or salesmen.  There are good ones but the number of horror stories make it a reputation earned.

[rp23g7]

I gotta admit, I have done that.  I used to work at a service station, that also had a detail shop that detailed cars for a local dealer.

We did a few "Midnight Auto" events. Took out a brand new 1987 Eldorado convert for a cruise.  Took out a new 1987 Formula Firebird and baked the hell out of the tires.

Then I had it done to me.  I took my 64 Chrysler into a tire shop to have the tires replaced, go back, "oh, by the way, you have a vibration in your rear end at 70mph.  WTH, why are you driving my car at 70 mph, looked at the odometer, 45 miles were put on my car.    GRRRR, Karma I guess.

[Ghoste]

 

[SRT-440]

The real problem is in the fact the dealership wanted to replace it with a lesser car and lied about the replacement car being in an a wreck too and how many owners it had. They don't want to give him a brand new one because his is an older model and they'd lose money. If I was the vehicle owner I'd be handing out lawsuits to everyone involved.

For the record, there are ways to use the technology against the dealerships. My 2012 SRT8 records everything...max speed, time driven, GPS info.

Also, when taking ur car in for a tire rotation, mark the tires so u know if they were actually rotated or not. I've caught several shops over the years trying to pull this stunt. Shady a$$ ppl.

[1974dodgecharger]

I guess the point is though is that something we need to do. I don't think some old lady is gonna get under her car and mark things before servicing that's all.

The real problem is in the fact the dealership wanted to replace it with a lesser car and lied about the replacement car being in an a wreck too and how many owners it had. They don't want to give him a brand new one because his is an older model and they'd lose money. If I was the vehicle owner I'd be handing out lawsuits to everyone involved.

For the record, there are ways to use the technology against the dealerships. My 2012 SRT8 records everything...max speed, time driven, GPS info.

Also, when taking ur car in for a tire rotation, mark the tires so u know if they were actually rotated or not. I've caught several shops over the years trying to pull this stunt. Shady a$$ ppl.